The European Grand Senior Championships 2026 will begin tomorrow in Vienna, Austria, marking the first edition of this new continental event for Senior athletes.
The championships will run from January 30 to February 8 and are organized by the European Bowling Federation.
A total of 21 federations are taking part in the event. The field includes 80 male athletes and 54 female athletes, all aged 65 and above.
All games will be played at Plus Bowling Vienna. The venue is well known on the international bowling calendar and has previously hosted events such as European Senior Championships, European Youth Championships, European Men’s and Women’s Championships, and the Champions Cup.
The lane condition for the European Grand Senior Championships 2026 will be set at 41 feet, with a possible variation of plus or minus one foot. The final lane pattern details will be confirmed during the Team Managers Meeting on Friday evening.
The competition format follows a structure similar to all European Championships. The event starts with six games of singles, followed by six games of doubles. The third section is the team event, which consists of six games played in two blocks of three. In each section, the top four teams or players from the preliminary rounds advance to the semifinals. First place faces fourth, while second place meets third. The winners move on to a one-game final, while the semifinal losers are awarded bronze medals.
All-Events medals will be decided after the completion of the singles, doubles, and team events, based on a total of 18 games.
In addition, the top 24 bowlers from the preliminary standings will qualify for the individual Masters finals.
